Magnetic gate for a caribiner

Abstract

A carabiner gate for a carabiner having an outer cylinder and an inner cylinder, that can only be opened with the use of a properly located magnet to move a sliding pin and allow rotation of the outer cylinder to open the carabiner.

We claim: 
     
       1. A magnetic gate for a carabiner having a closed position and an open position, comprising:
 an outer cylinder having a sliding pin recess internally disposed into an inside surface of said outer cylinder; 
 an inner cylinder having a bore; 
 said outer cylinder rotatably disposed outside of said inner cylinder; 
 said bore containing a sliding pin; and 
 a biasing means to bias said sliding pin towards said sliding pin recess in the closed position; 
 wherein said sliding pin recess does not extend through to an outside surface of said outer cylinder. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said biasing means is a sliding pin spring that is disposed in said bore to contact said sliding pin to bias said sliding pin towards said sliding pin recess in the closed position. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said sliding pin is made with ferrous material. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said sliding pin reacts to a magnet. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 4 , whereby when the magnet is placed near the outer cylinder opposite the sliding pin recess with respect to the sliding pin in the closed position, and when the force of the magnet is stronger than the force of the sliding pin spring and the magnet is arranged adjacent the outer cylinder opposite the sliding pin recess with respect to the sliding pin in the closed position, the sliding pin is displaced toward the magnet and away from the sliding pin recess. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a pivot arm disposed at one end of said magnetic gate; 
 said pivot arm pivotally connected to a C-shaped frame first end of the carabiner; and 
 said magnetic gate being releasably connected to a C-shaped frame second end of the carabiner. 
 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a nylon sleeve disposed within said outer cylinder and outside of said inner cylinder. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a sliding pin locating structure disposed on said outer cylinder whereby said sliding pin is disposed between said sliding pin locating structure and said sliding pin recess in the closed position. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the sliding pin locating structure comprises at least one of a visual element or a tactile element. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a torsion spring to bias said outer cylinder into the closed position. 
     
     
       11. A magnetic gate for a carabiner having a closed position and an open position, comprising:
 an outer cylinder having a sliding pin recess disposed on an inside surface of said outer cylinder and a sliding pin location structure on an outside surface of said outer cylinder; 
 an inner cylinder disposed within said outer cylinder; 
 said inner cylinder having a bore extending partially therethrough; 
 a sliding pin made of ferrous material slidably disposed in said bore; 
 said sliding pin having a shoulder; 
 a sliding pin spring disposed within said bore; 
 said sliding pin spring contacts said sliding pin to bias said sliding pin in said sliding pin recess in the closed position; and 
 whereby when a magnet is placed near said sliding pin locating structure having a stronger force than the sliding pin spring, said sliding pin is displaced toward said sliding pin locating structure and removed from said sliding pin recess. 
 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a nylon sleeve disposed between said inner cylinder and said outer cylinder. 
 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a pivot arm disposed a one end of the magnetic gate; 
 said pivot arm pivotally connected to a C-shaped frame first end of the carabiner; and 
 said magnetic gate being releasably connected to a C-shaped frame second end of the carabiner whereby when the magnetic gate is in the open position the magnetic gate may pivot about said pivot arm. 
 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the sliding pin is made of ferrous material. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the sliding pin comprises two diameters that define a shoulder of the sliding pin, and the sliding pin spring contacts said shoulder to bias the sliding pin. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the sliding pin locating structure comprises at least one of a visual element or a tactile element. 
     
     
       17. A magnetic gate for a carabiner having a closed position and an open position, comprising:
 an outer cylinder having a sliding pin recess on an inside surface of said outer cylinder and having a sliding pin locating structure on an outside surface of said outer cylinder; 
 a nylon sleeve disposed within said outer cylinder; 
 an inner cylinder disposed with said nylon sleeve; 
 said inner cylinder having a bore; 
 a sliding pin spring disposed in said bore; 
 a sliding pin biasly disposed in said bore; 
 said sliding pin spring contacts said sliding pin to bias said sliding pin into said sliding pin recess in the closed position; 
 said bore disposed between said sliding pin recess and said sliding pin locating feature in the closed position; 
 said outer cylinder rotatably disposed with respect to said nylon sleeve; and 
 a pivot arm pivotally connected to a C-shaped frame first end of the carabiner, and said magnetic gate releasably connected to a C-shaped frame second end of the carabiner near an outer cylinder cut out of said outer cylinder. 
 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the sliding pin is made of ferrous material. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the sliding pin comprises two diameters that define a shoulder of the sliding pin, and the sliding pin spring contacts said shoulder to bias the sliding pin. 
     
     
       20. The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the sliding pin locating structure comprises at least one of a visual element or a tactile element.